Our alliance with AIADMK conditional, says Anbumani

Pattali Makkal Katchi’s youth wing leader and its Dharmapuri MP Anbumani Ramadoss said on Monday that his party was firm on the ten pre-conditions on the basis of which it had aligned with the AIADMK, including the memorandum it had submitted to the Governor calling for an investigation into corruption charges against Tamil Nadu Ministers.

Addressing a press conference, he said his party was rejected by the people when it went alone as an alternative to the two kazhagams and so it had decided to go in for pragmatic alliance.

Asked specifically whether they stood by the memorandum his party chief S Ramadoss had submitted to the Governor listing corruption charges against the AIADMK Government, he said “it is up to the Governor to order an investigation”.

When pointed out that his father and party founder S Ramadoss had even opposed a memorial for late Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha on the ground that she had been convicted by the Supreme Court on corruption charges, he said” it is a different situation now as neither Jayalalitha nor DMK leader M Karunanidhi is around and we weighed this in while deciding to go with the AIADMK”

Dr Anbumani said his party would fight for Cetnre’s clearance for the Tamil Nadu for exempting the State from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses. We are also committed to total prohibition”, he said.

Upsetting the calculations of the AIADMK, Dr Anbumani said that there was no going back on his party’s decision to contest the 21 by-elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly whenever held. He also said “this alliance is for the Lok Sabha, we shall take a fresh look about Assembly later”.

The outcome of the 21 by-elections will decide the fate of this Edappadi Government which has only a working majority after the disqualification of 18 of its rebel MLAs.